Knicks' Jalen Brunson Predicted For Big Series vs. Celtics

Jalen Brunson will lead the New York Knicks into battle against the Boston Celtics.

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson celebrates his three point basket in the fourth quarter. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson will have a massive say in how the team's series against the Boston Celtics shakes out.

The All-Star guard is clearly the top scoring option for the Knicks, as evidenced in the team's first round series against the Detroit Pistons.

Bleacher Report writer Andy Bailey believes that Brunson's high scoring output will continue when the Knicks match up with the Celtics in the second round.

"This may not seem all that bold for a player with a scoring average of 30.5 points over the last three postseasons, but it's not like Boston is entering this series without contenders for this honor," Bailey wrote.

"Jayson Tatum averaged 31.3 in the Magic series. Jaylen Brown has averaged 20-plus in each of his last five playoff runs. Heck, even Brunson's teammate, Karl-Anthony Towns is likely to have a few scoring outbursts.

"But no one in this series dominates the ball quite like Brunson, who led the entire NBA in average time of possession in the regular season.

"And in a matchup that figures to have multiple games go down to the wire, you can expect Brunson, the 2024-25 Clutch Player of the Year, to try to win them almost singlehandedly.

"All of that will add up to the highest individual scoring average in this series."

Brunson, 28, averaged 26 points per game during the regular season, but those numbers saw an uptick in the team's series against the Pistons. Brunson scored 30 or more points in all but one of the six contests, averaging 31.5 points per game.

The scoring title for the series will likely come down to Brunson and Tatum, each team's No. 1 option, but the Knicks could lean more on their star to get past the Celtics.

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